Knox's Stand
Page 39
Crazy Bitch’s mouth snapped closed as several of them came to take beer from the cooler. Diamond threw her a satisfied smile before moving away from the table because she was also not stupid; she knew that Crazy Bitch would beat the shit out of her if she pressed too hard. Diamond wasn’t afraid of her, but she didn’t want to ruin the wedding day her mother had waited years for, either.
She found a couple of older members that she knew and stood talking with them about their children now grown when the President of the Blue Horsemen walked by.
“Diamond, have you met Stud?”
Diamond stared at the biker. “We’ve met,” she said with a quirk of her lips.
Stud paused, looking her over. “You look different without your suit.”
Diamond shrugged. “The Destructors don’t mind my suits when I’m bailing them out of jail.”
Stud’s mouth twisted. “Good to know that we have a lawyer in the family, could come in handy.”
“I don’t belong to my parent’s club,” Diamond said hastily.
“Don’t matter if you are or not. If you’re Skulls’s kid, we’ll watch out for you.”
“You’ll do well if you can keep Sex Piston out of trouble without worrying about me.”
At the mention of Sex Piston’s name, his facial expression changed. “Your sister isn’t going to get in trouble anymore.”
Diamond laughed in his face. “Good luck with that.”
His face darkened, not appreciating her humor. “You doubt that we can control her?”
“I know so. Sex Piston and her crew are going to drive you and your men nuts. But don’t worry, maybe I’m wrong.” Diamond doubted it, though hey, miracles could happen.
“What did you just call me?” A loud roar sounded from across the room where the biker that had offered Diamond his lap was arguing with Killyama.
Diamond started laughing when a fuming looking Stud moved toward the table where the argument was going on between the two. Diamond saw her mother and father standing together and walked toward them.
“I’m going to go. Congratulations.” Diamond brushed a kiss across her mother’s face and then turned to say goodbye to her father. He was looking younger than his years; obviously having the weight of the club off his shoulders was beneficial to his health.
“Can’t you stay a little longer?” he asked.
“I have some work that I need to do. I’ve been busy.”
“So I’ve heard,” he said, searching her eyes.
Diamond should have known that Sex Piston wouldn’t keep her mouth shut.
“I heard that the charges were dropped against him.”
Diamond nodded.
“You still seeing him?” her mother asked with her discerning eyes on Diamond’s face.
“No. Look, I‘ve gotta go. I’ll give you a call.” Diamond managed to escape, avoiding Sex Piston who she saw had joined Killyama in the argument with the bikers. Their eyes met briefly before Diamond went out the door. Sex Piston’s eyes searched hers, easily seeing the pain that Diamond was trying unsuccessfully to keep hidden.
Diamond drove home, passing the diner as she went through town where The Last Riders on their motorcycles ended up in front of her. Knox was easy to spot amongst the group. Bliss was on the back with her arms wrapped around his waist.
One of the bikers must have said something because Evie and Raci turned their heads around, waving at Diamond. Diamond forced herself to wave nonchalantly back. Giving her blinker, she turned off the main road several streets before hers, taking the longer way home, but it was worth it not to have to watch Bliss riding with Knox.
Diamond parked her car and then went inside her lonely apartment. Taking off her dress, she slid on the sweats and top she had worn home from Knox’s that first weekend she had spent with him.
Then, grabbing her Chunky Monkey ice cream, she went to her couch, dropping down on it. Bored, she shoved the papers she had been working on to the side, knocking off one of the folders. She watched the contents spill over the floor before picking them up.
She stared at the list of men’s names that Sam had been intimate with in high school. Diamond could tell from the addresses beside each name that they were from the better part of town. Samantha hadn’t become involved with the less savory men in Treepoint until after she had turned eighteen. Diamond’s spoon paused with the ice cream still on there, halfway to her mouth. A sudden thought occurred to her.
Picking up her phone, she called Beth. “Hello?”
“Hi, Beth this is Diamond I was wondering if I could have Lily’s number. I have a quick question for her.”
“Yes.” Beth gave her the number without questioning why Diamond wanted it.
“Thanks, Beth.” Diamond cut off the conversation before Beth could say anything. Feeling guilty, Diamond regretted being rude, but she had heard the laughter and music in the background and her stomach couldn’t take the images of Knox being there.
Her call to Lily was answered on the first ring.
“Lily, this is Diamond Richard. Do you remember me?”
“Of course. How are you?”
“I’m doing well. I have a quick question.”
“Okay.” Her sweet voice brought a true smile to Diamond’s face for the first time in weeks.
“When you were in high school, who was considered the bad boy in your age group? Someone that would freak a parent out if their daughter got involved with them?”
Silence met her answer. “Most of the boys in my class were pretty nice; they were into clothes as much as the girls.”
“How about a grade ahead of you then?”
“I can’t think of anyone that… wait a minute, there was someone, but he didn’t graduate with his class; he was a year ahead of Samantha and me and dropped out before graduation. I heard his grades were bad enough he would have to come back during summer school and he wasn’t going to do that, so he just dropped out completely.”
“Who?” The name Lily gave her convinced Diamond she was right in her assumptions.
“Thanks, Lily. That’s all I needed to know. How’s school?”
“Good. I’m glad I only have a year left after this semester, I’m getting sick of being away from home.” Diamond heard the homesickness in her voice.
“I understand. Just hang in there. It will be worth it when you graduate.”
“I will.” They talked for several minutes more before they hung up. Diamond got up from her couch and put the melting ice cream back into the freezer.
She went into the bedroom to put on her tennis shoes then grabbed her keys before she went outside. It was getting dark. Almost deciding to turn around and wait until tomorrow, Diamond got into her car, curiosity driving her to lose her commonsense about finding their home in the dark.
She had to know for sure if she was right because, if she was, she had just found out who was responsible for Samantha Bedford’s death.
Chapter Seventeen
“Who was that?” Razer asked.
Beth sat, staring at her phone with a hurt expression on her face.
“Diamond Richard,” she said, glancing at Knox who was sitting across the table from her, eating his dinner.
She found a couple of older members that she knew and stood talking with them about their children now grown when the President of the Blue Horsemen walked by.
“Diamond, have you met Stud?”
Diamond stared at the biker. “We’ve met,” she said with a quirk of her lips.
Stud paused, looking her over. “You look different without your suit.”
Diamond shrugged. “The Destructors don’t mind my suits when I’m bailing them out of jail.”
Stud’s mouth twisted. “Good to know that we have a lawyer in the family, could come in handy.”
“I don’t belong to my parent’s club,” Diamond said hastily.
“Don’t matter if you are or not. If you’re Skulls’s kid, we’ll watch out for you.”
“You’ll do well if you can keep Sex Piston out of trouble without worrying about me.”
At the mention of Sex Piston’s name, his facial expression changed. “Your sister isn’t going to get in trouble anymore.”
Diamond laughed in his face. “Good luck with that.”
His face darkened, not appreciating her humor. “You doubt that we can control her?”
“I know so. Sex Piston and her crew are going to drive you and your men nuts. But don’t worry, maybe I’m wrong.” Diamond doubted it, though hey, miracles could happen.
“What did you just call me?” A loud roar sounded from across the room where the biker that had offered Diamond his lap was arguing with Killyama.
Diamond started laughing when a fuming looking Stud moved toward the table where the argument was going on between the two. Diamond saw her mother and father standing together and walked toward them.
“I’m going to go. Congratulations.” Diamond brushed a kiss across her mother’s face and then turned to say goodbye to her father. He was looking younger than his years; obviously having the weight of the club off his shoulders was beneficial to his health.
“Can’t you stay a little longer?” he asked.
“I have some work that I need to do. I’ve been busy.”
“So I’ve heard,” he said, searching her eyes.
Diamond should have known that Sex Piston wouldn’t keep her mouth shut.
“I heard that the charges were dropped against him.”
Diamond nodded.
“You still seeing him?” her mother asked with her discerning eyes on Diamond’s face.
“No. Look, I‘ve gotta go. I’ll give you a call.” Diamond managed to escape, avoiding Sex Piston who she saw had joined Killyama in the argument with the bikers. Their eyes met briefly before Diamond went out the door. Sex Piston’s eyes searched hers, easily seeing the pain that Diamond was trying unsuccessfully to keep hidden.
Diamond drove home, passing the diner as she went through town where The Last Riders on their motorcycles ended up in front of her. Knox was easy to spot amongst the group. Bliss was on the back with her arms wrapped around his waist.
One of the bikers must have said something because Evie and Raci turned their heads around, waving at Diamond. Diamond forced herself to wave nonchalantly back. Giving her blinker, she turned off the main road several streets before hers, taking the longer way home, but it was worth it not to have to watch Bliss riding with Knox.
Diamond parked her car and then went inside her lonely apartment. Taking off her dress, she slid on the sweats and top she had worn home from Knox’s that first weekend she had spent with him.
Then, grabbing her Chunky Monkey ice cream, she went to her couch, dropping down on it. Bored, she shoved the papers she had been working on to the side, knocking off one of the folders. She watched the contents spill over the floor before picking them up.
She stared at the list of men’s names that Sam had been intimate with in high school. Diamond could tell from the addresses beside each name that they were from the better part of town. Samantha hadn’t become involved with the less savory men in Treepoint until after she had turned eighteen. Diamond’s spoon paused with the ice cream still on there, halfway to her mouth. A sudden thought occurred to her.
Picking up her phone, she called Beth. “Hello?”
“Hi, Beth this is Diamond I was wondering if I could have Lily’s number. I have a quick question for her.”
“Yes.” Beth gave her the number without questioning why Diamond wanted it.
“Thanks, Beth.” Diamond cut off the conversation before Beth could say anything. Feeling guilty, Diamond regretted being rude, but she had heard the laughter and music in the background and her stomach couldn’t take the images of Knox being there.
Her call to Lily was answered on the first ring.
“Lily, this is Diamond Richard. Do you remember me?”
“Of course. How are you?”
“I’m doing well. I have a quick question.”
“Okay.” Her sweet voice brought a true smile to Diamond’s face for the first time in weeks.
“When you were in high school, who was considered the bad boy in your age group? Someone that would freak a parent out if their daughter got involved with them?”
Silence met her answer. “Most of the boys in my class were pretty nice; they were into clothes as much as the girls.”
“How about a grade ahead of you then?”
“I can’t think of anyone that… wait a minute, there was someone, but he didn’t graduate with his class; he was a year ahead of Samantha and me and dropped out before graduation. I heard his grades were bad enough he would have to come back during summer school and he wasn’t going to do that, so he just dropped out completely.”
“Who?” The name Lily gave her convinced Diamond she was right in her assumptions.
“Thanks, Lily. That’s all I needed to know. How’s school?”
“Good. I’m glad I only have a year left after this semester, I’m getting sick of being away from home.” Diamond heard the homesickness in her voice.
“I understand. Just hang in there. It will be worth it when you graduate.”
“I will.” They talked for several minutes more before they hung up. Diamond got up from her couch and put the melting ice cream back into the freezer.
She went into the bedroom to put on her tennis shoes then grabbed her keys before she went outside. It was getting dark. Almost deciding to turn around and wait until tomorrow, Diamond got into her car, curiosity driving her to lose her commonsense about finding their home in the dark.
She had to know for sure if she was right because, if she was, she had just found out who was responsible for Samantha Bedford’s death.
Chapter Seventeen
“Who was that?” Razer asked.
Beth sat, staring at her phone with a hurt expression on her face.
“Diamond Richard,” she said, glancing at Knox who was sitting across the table from her, eating his dinner.
